MODALITY PRESENT A) Obligation: -internal -external (Necessity) MUST

MODAL VERBS
PAST HAD TO

NON-MODAL VERBS AND EXPRESSIONS

-HAVE TO -IT IS necessary/ compulsory/ required/ obligatory -IT IS a rule that

e.g: I must get my driving license.

e.g : I had to get my driving license.

B)1 Advice/ Recommendation

SHOULD/ SHOULDNT

SHOULD+ HAVE+ V(3)

e.g: You should take care of your health.

e.g: You should have taken more care of your health.

-IT IS recommendable/ advisable/ preferable to/ thatgood -YOUD better (had) -ID SOONER/ ID RATHER

B)2 Reproach

SHOULD/ OUGHT TO

SHOULD/ OUGHT TO+ HAVE+ V(3)

e.g: You oughtnt to sit when an old person stands next to you. C) Modal Obligation OUGHT TO (SHOULD)

e.g: You oughtnt to have sat when an old person stood next to you. OUGHT TO+ HAVE+ V(3)

-IT IS: bad/ a shame/ impolite/rude to/that

e.g: Children ought to respect their parents.

e.g: Children ought to have respected their parents.

-IT IS polite/ good/ nice/ suitable/ proper to/that

D) Interdiction

MUSTNT/ CANT

COULDNT

e.g: You mustnt drop litter in the street.

e.g: You couldnt drop litter in the street.

-IT IS NOT allowed/ permitted -IT IS against the rule/ law thatto -IT IS forbidden/ interdicted

E) Lack of obligation

NEEDNT

NEEDNT+ HAVE+ V(3)

e.g: You neednt speak loudly, I can hear you quite well.

e.g: You neednt have spoken loudly, I could hear you quite well.

-DONT (DOESNT) HAVE/ NEED TO -IT IS NOT necessary/ compulsory/ required -IT IS optional/ at your choice to/that

F) General possibility

CAN/ COULD

COULD

e.g: People can be very selfish when it comes to their interests.

e.g: People could be very selfish when it comes to their interests.

- IT IS generally/ theoretically possible to/ that -IT IS generally to have the possibility

G) Personal/ Particular Possibility

MAY/ MIGHT

MIGHT+ HAVE+ V(3)

e.g: He might be at home to rest, but Im not sure.

e.g: He might have been at home to rest, but Im not sure.

- IT IS possible/ maybe/ perhaps -IT IS NOT sure/ certain -IT IS uncertain

H) Deduction/ Probability

SHOULD

SHOULD+ HAVE+ V(3)

-IT IS probable/ likely -THERE ARE chances to

e.g: She should know many things about Great Britain. Shes an English teacher!

e.g: She should have known many things about Great Britain. She was an English teacher!

I) Certainty

MUST

MUST+ HAVE+ V(3)

-IT IS (almost) certain/ sure/ certainly

e.g: Mr. Brown has lived in London all his life, he must know it by heart.

e.g: Mr. Brown lived in London all his life, he must have known it by heart.

J) Impossibility

CANT/ CANNOT

COULDNT

e.g: He cant be in the shop, he is lying! The shop has been closed all the day long.

e.g: He couldnt be in the shop, he was lying! The shop had been closed all day long.

-IT IS impossible/ unlikely -IT IS out of the question

K) Ability/ Capability/ Capacity

CAN

COULD

-BE able/ capable to -HAVE the ability/ capacity to(skills)

e.g: He is very strong. He can lift many weights. CAN+ I/YOU+ V?

e.g: He was very strong. He could lift many weights.

L) Informal/ Familiar asking for permission

COULD (PERMISSION)

e.g: Can I go into the office? CAN (PERMISSION)

M) Polite/ Formal asking for permission

COULD+ YOU+ V? MAY+ I+ V?

-AM I/ ARE YOU allowed/ permitted to? -ARE YOU kind/ nice (so as) to?

e.g: Sorry, could you repeat the last sentence? N) An informal/ Familiar offer/ Suggestion/ Invitation O) A formal/ Polite offer/ Suggestion SHALL/ WILL+ I/ WE+ V? WILL

e.g: Shall I help you doing the washing up? SHOULD + I/WE+ V? WOULD YOU + V? -I suggest/ propose/ invite to -My suggestion/ proposal is to -I expect/ suppose that -My expectation/ supposition is WOULD -I strongly wish/ want -My strong will/ wish is -I strongly refuse -I dont want at all

e.g: Should I offer you my umbrella? P) The speakers expectation

WILL (for all the persons)

e.g: Somebodys knocking at the door. I think that will be George. WILL (for all the persons)

Q) Strong will/ Ambition

e.g: We will beat you! You will see!

e.g: That day they said they would win.

R) Strong refusal

WONT (for all the persons)

WOULDNT

e.g: I wont do that, its not my problem!

e.g: I wouldnt do that, it wasnt my problem!